Fairytale
by whirlwinds of watercolours
Summary: She is the princess and he is the prince; she is a Potter and he is a Malfoy.


**Summary: She is the princess and he is the prince; she is a Potter and he is a Malfoy.**

**Rating: T for mentions of underage drinking, and, you know, depressing stuff which I shall not spoil for you.**

**Word Count: 11762**

**Written For: The Hunger Games Elimination Round; School Subjects: Divination; Honeydukes Competition: Jelly Slugs; The Sad and Depressing Oneshot Challenge; 'Stretch Your Limits' Competition: Medium; the Ultimate NextGen Challenge; Diagon Alley Challenge: Ollivanders; Forbidden Relationships Competition; Your Favourite Unappreciated Pairing Challenge; Circular Stories Challenge; Personal Restrictions Competition - write about a character overcoming an obstacle.**

**A/N: This is dedicated to several people, namely: Gamma Orionis (for being a fellow Scorily shipper and for converting me to shipping several weird pairings ;); Kaia/acciohope15 (also for being a Scorily shipper); Bree/blurred motion (because you begged me - and I'm a very nice person ;); Sylvia/Budapest All Over Again (for playing all those Rat Races with me and keeping me motivated); Liza/Forever Siriusly Sirius (in the hopes that this will tell you Scorily is way better); and lastly, Jewel/forever noxer, as a Christmas present.**

**Thanks to my beta _Emma Quinn_ for pointing out those horrendous grammatical errors and _VenusInHerHair_ as well. ****Excuse the ironic title and the totally weird plot. Some ideas are inspired by the Lord of the Rings series and kudos to you if you managed to spot them. ;)**

**Please enjoy! **

* * *

**i. the beginning**

Once upon a time, there is a prince and a princess. She is a Potter and he is a Malfoy.

The first time they meet, she is eight and he is ten.

He is on the edge of a cliff top that overlooks the waterfall near his house, having snuck out of the manor just now. His father is holding a Ministry function in there – for some unfathomable reason he cannot understand; his father does not even like most of the people working in the Ministry – and even though children are welcome, he is not interested in those kinds of social events. They are too noisy for him; he prefers the quiet.

He adores waterfalls; he has been in love with them ever since they had visited Niagara Falls – which is in fact, unbeknownst to Muggles, a wizarding attraction – a few years ago. Even though it had been freezing, he had enjoyed the majestic view of the gallons of water crashing down; the soothing rhythm of the water as it pounded the rocks below. It had given him a peaceful feeling; a feeling of pure happiness, and when the Malfoys had gotten home after their holiday he demanded that his father build a waterfall right outside their manor.

Considering that Wiltshire is full of downlands and valleys, it was an easy task - especially since there are some right outside their home. All his father had to do was divert and enlarge one of the small streams dotting the edges of their extensive property, and he would have his very own private waterfall.

The powerful rush of water causes the ground beneath his feet to vibrate slightly as he stands, enjoying the grand view at the top of the waterfall. Condensation floats in little white clouds beneath him, and he wonders what it would be like if he jumps off the rock, and falls down, down, down – all the way to the bottom. He thinks it would be rather fun to experience going through the funny translucent smoke, but obviously, he is not stupid. He knows that if he jumped, it would be the death of him. Either the rocks would smash him to little bits and pieces, or the cold water would drag him down, never to return to the surface…

A sudden crack of a twig snapping brings him out of his thoughts, and he whips around quickly, looking for the intruder. How dare someone barge into his own personal space! Wait until his father hears about this!

A girl is standing a few feet away from him, blushing furiously at being caught. Dark brown eyes with flecks of emerald green are wide with horror, and she seems frozen to the spot as he appraises her condescendingly. Her crimson-stained cheeks are the exact same colour as her distinctive red hair, which he recognises at once.

His very first thought about her is: she must be a Weasley.

Unfortunately, a large number of the Weasley family work in the Ministry of Magic, hence his father has to extend an invitation – very reluctantly – to them as well. It would be considered very rude and impolite not to invite them, even if they were former enemies at school.

"Who are you?" he asks haughtily, his tone sharp and cold. He is not one to take kindly to intruders, neither is he one to distinguish between each Weasley. They breed like cats; how in Merlin's name is he to tell them apart?

At the sound of his voice, she seems to snap out of her shock. To his surprise, she tilts her head high, giving the illusion that she was looking down her nose at him even though he was a good feet taller than her. When she answers, her voice is equally as haughty and every bit as arrogant as his was.

"I'm Lily, and you are?" There is no mistaking the hint of obvious contempt in her proud tone.

Anger shoots through his veins, but he cannot deny that he feels impressed by her defiant attitude. According to his father and grandfather, most of the Weasleys are weak-boned and poor; he should not have to worry about dealing with them in a scenario where they meet. It seems that this girl is a little different from the rest of her family.

And if there is one thing he likes, it is being different.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he replies coolly with a proud smirk. Even though the days of his father and grandfather being Death Eaters are long gone, the Malfoy name still induces fear in wizarding circles - a fact they never hesitate to take advantage of.

Again to his immense surprise, she does not react to the name as he expected. Not even a shudder or flinch of the body, nor a widening in surprise of the brown-green eyes. She merely gives him a nod of acknowledgement, before moving to stand next to him on the cliff edge.

"It's nice here, isn't it?" she notes, her lilting voice soft and surprisingly – he should really stop feeling surprised around the girl; or rather, Lily – containing none of the malice or arrogance it held earlier. The sudden abrupt change of topic and attitude throws him off guard, but he recovers himself quickly. Malfoys are not supposed to be easily startled.

"Yeah," he agrees, his tone equally soft to match the calm atmosphere. The waterfall faces the west, so he can see that bright red ball of gas dipping lower and lower into the horizon. With the sunset and the sparkling red water - tainted by the rays - cascading down, it is a beautiful sight up there.

"I came here to escape from the noise," she admits to him quietly, staring down at the waterfall in embarrassment and shame, presumably unable to look him in the eye. "It's just too much. I'm sorry if I interrupted your peace and quiet."

"It's alright," he comforts, a bit astonished that they may have more similarities than they first thought. "I don't like the parties either. Merlin knows why my father hosts them in the first place."

For the first time since he met her, Lily's face breaks out into a genuine smile. He cannot help but think how angelic she looks, standing there with the red glow of the sun cast over her. The wind tosses her fiery red curls back, her cream-coloured dress matching the shade of the Weasley red hair in the light of the sun.

All is peaceful.

This is only the beginning.

**ii. promise**

_Dear Lily,_

_How are you?_

_I'm really excited; I'm going to Hogwarts in a few days. I still can't believe it; I've wanted to attend that school ever since I heard about it and now I'm finally going! It feels so… surreal, you know? Like I'm in a dream. Am I in a dream? I hope not. But even if I am, I think it's a nice dream and I really don't want to wake up anytime soon._

_Hope to see a reply from you soon!_

_Love,_

_Scorpius_

Smiling to herself, she reads the letter again before taking a blank piece of parchment and dipping her prized eagle-feather quill into the ink pot.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I'm well, thanks for asking._

_Sadly, I'm only going to Hogwarts in two years. TWO _years_. It's going to be a long wait. Don't forget to write to me, or I might just die of boredom here without anyone around!_

_Albus is going to Hogwarts this year, too. Have you read the Daily Prophet recently? I swear, the news of the second son of Harry Potter, the only one with the famous green eyes, going to Hogwarts has been plastered all over every bloody paper in the whole wide world. Merlin's beard, even the Quibbler, which is run by my Aunt Luna, has been printing it! If the press knocks on our door one more time to interview Albus, I might just scream bloody murder._

_Albus keeps fretting over being sorted into Slytherin and it's getting very annoying to hear his complaints about that house every day. James (that annoying prat!) keeps adding fuel to fire by mocking that since Albus's middle name was from a Slytherin, he is destined to be one._

_Personally, I don't really care which house I'm sorted into, and Slytherin's not all that bad, right? None of my family has been sorted into Slytherin before, but I think it'll be interesting if I was. After all, I came from a Gryffindor family; who would expect little innocent and charming Lily Luna to get into the big bad house of snakes?_

_Hope you reply soon!_

_Love,_

_Lily_

Tying the letter to her owl's leg, she watches as the owl soars into the air, disappearing from sight. Instead of going downstairs to spend some time with her brothers before they head off to Hogwarts, she stays in her room, observing the skies. Fluffy white clouds dot the blue summer sky, shielding the earth from the sun's glare. It is a perfect day for playing Quidditch, but Lily is reluctant to leave her room; she wants to continue corresponding with her friend.

She does not have to wait long before Scorpius's owl flies in through her window, carrying a regal-looking letter. Chuckling to herself at the formality, she unties the letter carefully before giving the owl a treat, causing it to peck her hand affectionately before it flies off.

After she opens the letter, she reads it a few times.

_Dear Lily,_

_I can totally sympathise with you. Oh look, Scorpius Malfoy is going to Hogwarts! Let's publish that as an article! I guess it's a good thing my dad and granddad have a bit of a… nasty reputation._

_I suppose as Harry Potter's daughter it's even worse, huh? I mean, you're the daughter of the saviour of the Wizarding world and a member of the Weasley clan. My granddad and dad are just renowned Death Eaters, and my mum is just plain Astoria Greengrass._

_Innocent? I wouldn't use that to describe you. You're far from innocent, Lily Luna._

_Just kidding. I think it'd be pretty cool if you were sorted into the same house as me. I know I'm going to be sorted into Slytherin; Dad says I'm the perfect example of a cunning little snake even though Mum was in Ravenclaw._

_Sometimes I wish I could just run away, you know? Find some secluded place in the countryside where I'll never be bothered again, where nobody will realise Scorpius Malfoy lives. Hell, I'll even live with Muggles if that's what it takes. Maybe I will bring you along too if you're nice to me, haha._

_Love,_

_Scorpius_

When her mother stops outside her door to find out what she is doing alone in her room, the only sound to be heard is the scratching of quill on parchment.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_That sounds like a bloody brilliant plan! I'll make a note to be nice to you from now on, then (as if I'm not already nice to you), but only if you promise to take me too. Do you promise?_

_Love,_

_Lily_

The reply she receives is quick, just one line.

_I give you my word._

**iii. friends**

The second time they meet face to face, he is leaving for Hogwarts.

After he pulls himself out of his parents' goodbye hugs, he looks around the platform for a familiar sign of the Weasley red hair. Surely she would have accompanied her brothers to the platform, right?

He does not need to search long before he finds his target.

A flash of red catches his eye, and he turns to see the entire Weasley family exchanging their farewells; Lily standing with her mother just a few feet away from her extended and immediate family. He has a feeling she has already spotted him, because when his eyes land on her a tiny grin forms on her face.

His father follows his line of sight and stiffens at the sight of them all huddled together. Lily's father – obviously, everyone recognises the saviour of the Wizarding world – sees his family as well, and his father gives Harry Potter a stiff nod before turning to him again.

"Listen, Scorpius," his father whispers in his ear, tone urgent. "Do not make friends with any of the Weasleys and the Potters, no matter how nice they are. Do you understand?"

He gives a nod, because he always listens to his father and his father is always right anyway. But as he boards the Hogwarts Express, a voice in his head cannot help pointing out: "But you already have a friend in Lily Potter."

**iv. secrets**

"Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

_That's right_, she thinks to herself with a savage kind of satisfaction. _But you won't be marrying him anyway, Rosie dear. He gave _me _a promise._

Her fingers find the piece of parchment she tucks in her pocket every day and she grips it tightly in her hand. The parchment feels real, feels reassuring to her.

Her eyes scan the platform and she sees the Malfoy family, standing a small distance away from them. They are easily recognisable with their white-blond hair, just like the Weasleys are with the red.

Scorpius pulls himself out of his parents' hug and glances around the platform in a casual manner, but she has a gut feeling he is looking for her. His eyes find her easily since she took care to distance herself from the rest of the Weasleys and her lips quirk into a small smirk, because she has just overheard Uncle Ron telling Rose not to make friends with Scorpius Malfoy. Unbeknownst to the both of them, she already has.

Keeping secrets from her family is no foreign concept to her.

**v. sorting**

When he next gets to talk to her in person again, she is eleven attending Hogwarts and he is in his third year.

"Potter, Lily!"

The clear voice of Professor Neville Longbottom rings through the Great Hall, and he watches as Lily Luna Potter strolls, head held high with an elegantly refined grace, up to the podium. From his seat at the Slytherin table, he can see James and Albus Potter whispering to their fellow Gryffindors, presumably asking them to give the warmest welcome possible to their little sister as Lily positions herself on the rickety stool.

Professor Longbottom places the tattered Sorting Hat on her vibrant red curls, and the minutes tick by slowly as Lily and the hat carry out a conversation no one else can hear.

"_SLYTHERIN!"_

Deafening silence greets the Great Hall.

With indifferent ease, Lily removes the worn hat from her head and places it back onto the stool gently, before sauntering up to the Slytherin table brimming with confidence, away from her shell-shocked brothers on the other side of the hall. There is an awkward pause as the Slytherins assess her, before the entire table breaks out in thunderous cheers and applause.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Smirking at the congratulations she receives from her new housemates, Lily gracefully slides into a seat next to him. Before the very eyes of the entire Great Hall, she leans over and stage whispers loudly into his ear.

"Bet you didn't expect that, huh?" she snickers teasingly, brown-green eyes sparkling with excitement and full lips curving into a mischievous grin. He can only shake his head in response; he is still too shocked by the results of her Sorting.

On the other side of the Great Hall, past the gossiping Ravenclaws and whispering Hufflepuffs, he can see James and Albus Potter giving him identical murderous glares. Lily only ignores them, pretending to be too caught up in the rest of the Sorting, but he stares right back in defiance.

A triumphant smirk of his own twitches his lips when their attempts to get Lily's attention are in vain. He knows that they will be furious with Lily the next morning and there will probably be a huge confrontation between them, but right now he just wants to relish in his victory.

Lily belongs to _him_, after all.

**vi. fine**

It is her first day of school and she has already made friends with Ella Zabini and Cameron Higgs. As she waltzes through the corridors for her first breakfast in the Great Hall, she sees Albus, James and Hugo among the crowd making their way towards her, but she slips towards the Slytherin table – her safe haven – before they can reach her. She is no coward, but even she does not fancy a fight on her first day of school.

"Lily."

Without even turning, she already knows whom the voice belongs to. How could she forget the voice of her very best friend?

"Hugo."

A stiff politeness creeps into her cold tone and she forces herself to stare into the bright blue eyes of Hugo Weasley – her big mistake. Those blue depths are swimming with hurt and betrayal and Lily feels a pang of regret but she squashes it down. She is proud of being in Slytherin house, no matter what her family says.

"We –" he motions to James and Albus, standing a few feet away and observing the Slytherin table with looks of evident disgust, "just wanted to know if you're doing alright in the house of snakes."

Anger bubbles in her stomach when he mentions the 'house of snakes' in that lofty manner, like it was some disgusting cult, and before she can stop herself she barks at Hugo. "I'm doing very well, thanks," she replies crisply. "But what I want to know is why my brothers refuse to come over here and express their concern for their little sister themselves, instead of sending someone else to do it for them."

Albus overhears them and flushes a dark red, opening his mouth to retort, but Ella gets there first. "Leave us alone, Potheads and Weasels," she sniffs in obvious disgust, gesturing to her uneaten breakfast. "You're not welcome here. The sight of you ruins my appetite."

Rage flashes through the faces of both her brothers and best friend and they look like they are willing to continue the argument right there and then, but she is tired of attracting unwanted attention and shakes her head at them. "Enough. Just go."

A dark look clouds over James's face. "If that's what you want, Slytherin," he spits in revulsion, grabbing Albus and Hugo by the arm and dragging them away from the Slytherin table to their own.

She watches them go with a heavy heart, tears brimming in her eyes and a lump in her throat. Although she feels that she has just been estranged her own kin, she will not apologise to them; it is not her fault that she belongs to Slytherin and not Gryffindor like the rest of the family.

"Are you alright?" Scorpius asks in concern, looking at her stony expression carefully. Arranging a bright smile on her face, she nods excitedly and reaches for some toast.

"I'm fine. Really." He scrutinises her thoughtfully, his pale brows furrowing and nose wrinkling, for a few moments before he finally nods, and resumes his own breakfast.

If she keeps repeating that mantra, then she will be fine.

**vii. hurt**

"It's the year of the Triwizard Tournament," Cameron Higgs announces with excitement to the Slytherin Common Room one Saturday morning. Slytherins immediately stop what they are doing, regardless of whether it is doing homework or playing games, to stare at Higgs in amazement.

Scorpius, however, pretends to stifle a yawn, stretching out luxuriously on one of the comfortable green plush couches in front of the fireplace. "I know, Higgs," he sighs in boredom, twiddling his quill between his fingers while glaring at that stupid and insufferable History of Magic essay in front of him that was only partially completed.

"How do you know?" Higg's eyes widen in unhidden astonishment, staring at him dumbfounded. "They kept it a secret until now!"

Since the end of Voldemort's reign, this year is the first year that the Triwizard Tournament will be hosted again. Unlike the last time, it will be hosted in Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, as the three schools take turns.

"My father has a very high position of authority in the Ministry, Higgs," he drawls lazily, ruffling the feather of his quill. "I heard of it long before they even told Durmstrang itself."

Higg's eyes are as wide as saucers now as he regards him with worshipful eyes. He smirks to himself; he just loves having some control and authority over the younger students.

"So that was what Dad was so worried about," Lily remarks softly as she plunks herself down on the couch next to him, holding a thick tome in her hands.

"_Why_ are you reading that?" Higgs groans, gesturing to the thick tome she is opening. Lily shoots him a look, about to respond, but Scorpius cuts in first.

"What do you mean, that's what your dad was so worried about?" he asks, curiosity getting the better of him. What does Harry Potter have to do with the restarting of the Triwizard Tournament? He may be the head of the Auror office, but it does not mean he controls everything, right?

"Since he almost got killed by a Death Eater disguised as an Auror and saw the return of Voldemort-" there are several visible winces from eavesdropping students as she says the name out loud "-I think there's plenty of reason for him to worry about it."

Oh, right. He has forgotten that Harry Potter had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year although he had not been entered himself.

"Dad says that I'm not allowed to enter the next Triwizard Tournament at Beauxbatons even though I'll be of age," Lily adds with a tone of resentment, rolling her eyes. "He's scared that his fragile little princess will get injured. No way in hell am I _fragile_. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, whatever my dad says. When the time comes, I'll be entering for sure."

He nods, giving the image of agreeing with her, but deep down he does not want to tell her that _he _is scared of her getting injured as well.

**viii. façade**

The school year passes in relative peace, and before Lily realises it is Christmas Break already.

She excels in all her classes, especially Potions and Defence and she waltzes elegantly through the hallways of Hogwarts with a beautiful smile like the princess she is meant to be. She hangs out with Ella and Cam and all the other Slytherins while avoiding the Weasleys and her brothers like the plague with much success. She is the teacher's pet, the apple of her parents' eye even though she was sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor.

Too bad she does not know how much longer she can keep up this façade.

Sitting on the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross, she glances out of the window at the gloomy weather. Although Ella and Cam are telling each other jokes about the number of terrible Christmases they have had before, she is in no mood to laugh along with them.

In what seems to be a blink of an eye, the train pulls in to King's Cross and Lily has to say her goodbyes to her friends. Carrying her luggage, she makes her way to the crowd of redheads under her best friends' concerned gazes.

Once she is close enough, her mother pulls her into a huge hug and her father gives her a wan smile, ruffling her hair – much to the envy of Albus and James, who have gotten to their parents before she has but did not receive as much attention from them as her. She feels a lift in her mood – maybe things have not changed very much even though she is sporting a green and silver scarf which contrasts against their red and gold ones.

And maybe pigs can fly without someone placing a Hover Charm on them.

**ix. two little snakes**

The first gift he receives from her is during his third year Christmas break.

He wakes up on Christmas morning to, as expected, a pile of gifts.

Most of them are cards; wishing him a Happy Christmas and New Year. He tosses most of them away without even looking at them; half of them are probably from people he did not even personally know – they are just writing to him in the hope that they can get into his good books. Hah – fat chance.

He sifts through the pile of gifts the owls delivered and one of them catches his eye immediately. Wrapped in gaudy red and gold paper, he knows who it is from even though he has not yet read the tiny card attached to it. There could be only one person.

Lily Luna Potter.

Grinning, he picks up the tiny box and carefully unwraps it, chuckling when he sees the card.

_Hey Scorp, I'm terribly sorry for the stupid wrapping paper. Mum and Dad won't let me buy a green and silver one, so I had to make do with Gryffindor colours. Hope you don't mind! –Lily_

Opening the tiny box, his eyes widen with surprise as he stares at his present in shock – a rare occurrence, because Scorpius Malfoy is never shocked.

Among black velvet sits a beautifully carved vine bracelet, the green vines resembling little snakes. Two little snakes, in fact. He picks it up and holds it up to the light, admiring the careful handiwork.

_Hope you like it. I made it myself –Lily, _the other note inside the box reads. Even though it is in the wee hours of the morning, he cannot stop himself as he picks up his quill to write a letter to her.

**x. blood is thicker than water… or not?**

_Dear Lily,_

_I love it. It's a really great and thoughtful gift. Thank you very much, and I hope you enjoy your Christmas!_

_Love,_

_Scorpius_

Grinning to herself as she remembers the contents of the letter, she continues to finish up the last of her Christmas dinner, ignoring the chatter of the other Weasleys and Potters.

Christmas at the Burrow has been a very strained affair and she cannot wait for it to be over. When the Potters first arrived, all of the cousins stared openly at Lily until she glared right back at them. Even though Grandma Molly has tried to diffuse the tension between them by hugging and welcoming Lily very warmly, there is still obvious animosity between all of them.

Finishing her pudding in silence, she takes the stairs two steps at a time up to her mother's old room. Once she has made sure she has secured the door, she cannot stop the tears from tumbling down her cheeks.

James and Albus's hateful glares… Rose's disgusted expression…Louis's pitiful looks… the images flash through her mind, and she grits her teeth, wiping away the stray tears with the back of her hand.

She is Lily Luna Potter, and she will not be seen falling from grace.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out Scorpius's present, glittering in the pale moonlight. In her palm lies a small and plain silver ring with only one word inscripted inside: _Promise._

Sometimes she wonders whether blood truly runs thicker than water or not.

**xi. kiss**

His first kiss was in his fifth year.

"I hate studying for OWLs," Veronica Goyle admits to him, blowing strands of messy, untidy black hair out her eyes. "They're so annoying. Why do we need to study for them anyway? It's not like I'm going to become an Auror or something."

"Let's just call it a night," he sighs tiredly, rubbing his eyes sleepily. This is the third night in a row that he has been burning the midnight oil in the library. Veronica nods with drowsiness, standing up and gathering her papers in a haphazard manner. He copies her movements with sluggishness, unable to differentiate which papers were his and which papers were hers.

"Goodnight, Scorpius," Veronica whispers, and before he can even comprehend what is happening, she leans in and kisses him on the lips.

The surprise is enough to shock him out of his sleepy state. Freezing in his spot, his mind races quickly, but is unable to think of an appropriate reaction. What in the world is he supposed to do? Kiss her back, or just stand frozen like a statue?

Before he can even decide, Veronica pulls away with a deep blush. Gathering her study materials quickly, she races out of the library before he can even say a word.

He stares blankly after her retreating figure, his lips still tingling from the unexpected kiss. Vaguely, his mind notes that she smells nice, in a fruity kind of way.

That is how his first kiss went.

**xii. jealousy**

The first time she feels truly jealous of someone is when _he _announces he has a girlfriend.

She watches from a distance as they stroll down the hall, hand in hand and laughing together. He is saying something to Veronica that she cannot hear, and Veronica responds with a girlish giggle and a peck to his lips. They look so happy, so blissful… there are claims that they will make the Slytherin couple of the year.

Turning away, she squashes down the stab of jealousy that wells in her heart and bites her lips hard to stop the tears from escaping. After all, who is she to Scorpius but the little sister he never had? He would never look at her in any way other than platonically, even if he had made that stupid promise more than two years ago.

She should have expected something like this to happen a long time ago. After all, he was _Scorpius Malfoy_, the good-looking, charming heir of the rich pureblood Malfoy family. Who in their right mind would not want to date someone like him?

She will not cry over a guy, she will _not_.

Fuming to herself, she stalks to the empty Quidditch Pitch, pulling out a broom and an old Snitch from the cupboard. Even though non-Quidditch members are not supposed to mess around with the equipment, she could not care less right now. She merely wants to let off some steam, even if it means risking detention – although that is nothing serious to her.

She tosses the Snitch high in the air, waiting for one minute before mounting the broom and flying through the air with ferocity. Despite the fact that it is October and the weather is chilly, she enjoys the feeling of the biting wind whistling past her ears, whipping her long red hair back from her head. The coldness seems to wake her brain up, seems to bring out that dying spark of fire, seems to make her feel _alive _again.

A glint of gold catches her eye, and she speeds off in that direction, her hand closing around the Snitch a few moments later.

Releasing the Snitch again, she waits for another minute before speeding around the pitch, alert for any sign of movement. Easily finding the tiny golden ball hovering near the base of the goal hoops, she dives for it, getting ready to swerve away to avoid crashing into the metal base at the last moment.

Unfortunately, she forgets that this is a school broom and not her own.

The old broom, too slow to react, heads straight for metal pole. Panic surges in her – _she cannot control the bloody broom! _– and through her jumbled mind only one command rings loud and clear: _jump_.

And so she obeys.

She lands on the ground in a twisted heap, seconds before the broom is smashed into smithereens upon making contact with the metallic pole. Gritting her teeth as pain throbs through her right ankle, she glares at the remaining pieces of the broom with hatred blazing in her eyes. Even though she does not have the abilities of a Seer, she is willing to bet that a detention is somewhere in her future.

"Are you alright?" a gruff voice asks from behind her, and she turns her head to see one of the seventh year Slytherins, Adrian Montague, looking down at her, expression stony but with a hint of curiosity and concern. Slytherins do not wear their emotions on a sleeve, she reminds herself, willing her own face into one of calm and blankness.

"Just twisted my ankle, I think," she answers airily, prodding her rapidly swelling ankle gently and holding back a hiss of pain when burning fire shoots through her nerves. _Damn, it hurts a lot!_

"Can you walk?" Montague questions, doubt evident in his eyes as he looks at her sprawled form on the ground. Closing her eyes, she nods before bracing herself to stand, leaning heavily on the pole which was half the cause of her trouble in the first place when she finally manages to stay upright.

Well, the pain is not too bad. "Probably," she replies, before taking one tiny step forward.

Which results in her crashing onto the ground rather unceremoniously.

As Uncle Ron would say in this kind of situation, _bloody hell._

"I'm fine," she claims stiffly when Montague offers a hand. Slytherins, _especially_ Lily Luna Potter, are independent and do not need help or rely on others, even when they really need it. She was not going to cause embarrassment to her House.

"Potter, this is not the time to be worried about house dignity," Montague sighs impatiently, shaking his head with exasperation. "If you don't get to Madam Pomfrey soon, you'll get something worse than a sprained ankle."

Unfortunately, she has to agree that he is right. Her ankle feels like it is being burned in a bubbling cauldron of inferno. Putting aside her pride, she allows herself to be hauled from the grass and half-carried to the Hospital Wing, ignoring the shocked or amused stares of many students they pass. _This is not the time to worry about pride, this is not the time to worry about pride…_

"You know, you would make an excellent Seeker for us," Montague remarks as he deposits her in the Hospital Wing. Before he leaves her to be treated by a rather peeved Madam Pomfrey, he adds, "Quidditch try-outs are on next Tuesday."

Quidditch… why has she not considered that before? Maybe it is because all her brothers and cousins play Quidditch and she wanted to be different from them? Well, at the very least she will be playing for the _Slytherin _Quidditch team and not the _Gryffindor _Quidditch team.

A smile graces her lips as the idea of Quidditch becomes more real to her. Yes, she will definitely be trying out. Even though she has not even made the team yet, she cannot wait until the first match of the season, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, to begin. Maybe it is time to show Albus and James that their little estranged sister is tougher than they first thought.

Perhaps Quidditch might even distract her from Scorpius.

**xiii. winner**

The first time they win to Gryffindor in a long while, it is all thanks to her.

"_Slytherin wins!" _the commentator bellows, and loud cheers erupting from the crowd of students sporting green and silver scarves drown out the jeers of students wearing red and gold scarves.

Pure unadulterated bliss races through him as the Slytherin Quidditch team descends on the pitch, voices hoarse from excited yelling. This is the first time in a few years that Slytherin has won a Quidditch match – they had always been crushed by a long line of Gryffindors descended from the Weasleys. Not only do they win this time, but they also have an actual Weasley playing for them.

"You did great," he grins at Lily, the star of the team. If it had not been for her, they would have lost by ninety points. They are now leading by sixty points, and if Ravenclaw narrowly wins Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and Slytherin manages to defeat Ravenclaw, the Quidditch Cup will be in the bag.

"Thanks," Lily smirks back at him, but he can tell that she is thrilled at winning this match – her first one – too, even if she does not show it. He knows that she was delighted when she swooped through the air gracefully and before the very eyes of her Gryffindor Seeker brother, caught the Snitch. "If it hadn't been for your father's broom, we might have lost, though."

Upon hearing that the Slytherin team had finally managed to replace their poor excuse of a Seeker, his father had immediately sent the newest broom model over. At first, Lily had vehemently declined using the broom, insisting that she would ask her parents to send her own one over, but he and the rest of the Slytherin team had been even more insistent. They would not allow their Seeker to fly on any broom but the best.

"We should thank him, shouldn't we?" he snickers as the team troops to their respective changing rooms. For years, the Slytherin team was completely male, but this is one of the few times they have one female member or more.

"Scorpius!" a high-pitched, giggly voice calls, and Lily's mood seems to instantly darken. He does not know why, but Lily always seems to have a strong allergy-like reaction whenever Veronica is around.

"No, I should thank you," Lily teases cheekily, her dark mood disappearing suddenly as if it had not been there in the first place. With a mock hug of affection, she places a chaste and friendly on his cheek, snickering to herself at the looks of shock from the people watching, before dancing gracefully into the changing rooms.

He stares after her amazed, just as he had done with his first kiss. Contrary to the many popular beliefs of the students, he is not very experienced with women. Just because he has good looks and a charming demeanour does not mean he is sleeping with _everyone _in the school.

Veronica is chattering mindlessly into his ear, but he can hardly differentiate between her words. He can only remember how warm Lily's body felt against his in the cold weather, how strange her scent was: like roses and lilies, mingled with the grassy Quidditch pitch…

**xiv. fire**

It is on her second trip to Hogsmeade that she tries Firewhiskey for the first time.

She is huddled at a table with Ella and Cam in the corner of the Three Broomsticks, drinking a cup of warm Butterbeer when a group of Slytherins arrives, congratulating Lily on her victory. Making mindless chatter and laughing with them, she gives the illusion that she is perfectly content when really, all she wants is for them to just leave her alone.

"You're looking quite pale, Lil Luna," one of them, a sixth or seven year she has never met before, remarks as he scrutinises her carefully with a worried expression, yet she can detect a hint of amusement and mischief in his eyes. "Very, very pale. Do you need some… _fire _to light you up?"

Ella and Cam both glare fiercely at the boy who spoke, but she is quite intrigued by his words. "What do you mean, _fire_?" she asks hesitantly, because she is willing to bet all the galleons in her father's Gringotts faults that they have something up their sleeves, probably illegal too – Slytherins did have a certain disregard for rules, after all.

The boy merely smirks, pouring some liquid from the flask he is carrying into her Butterbeer before winking. "Don't worry, Lil Luna. I guarantee it could make you feel better. And no, it's not poison. Montague would strangle me with his bare hands if I so much as laid a finger on his precious Seeker."

Whispering and snickering to themselves, the group of Slytherins leaves the bar. "Don't drink it," Ella urges her, but she ignores the warning as she takes a small whiff of the diluted Butterbeer before cautiously taking a tiny sip.

Fire sloshes into her mouth, burning her throat and hot tears spring up in her eyes, blurring her vision. Resisting the strong urge to spit out the diluted Butterbeer – Slytherins do not make a fool of themselves in public – she reluctantly swallows and looks up at Ella and Cam, making a face to show how she feels about the disgustingness of the diluted Butterbeer. "What in Merlin's beard was that?" she manages to choke out, before a coughing fit wracks her entire body.

"_That_ was Firewhiskey," Cam sighs, patting her back as she coughs and sputters, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Ella told you not to try it. Most of us know what the sixth and seventh years are up to."

Recovering herself, she looks around the bar and is glad to discover that no one has noticed anything out of the ordinary. The Three Broomsticks is very crowded during this time of the year as frostbitten stragglers often stop by for a mug of hot chocolate.

"Except me. But to be honest it's actually not that bad," she admits, stirring the diluted drink. Now that she is no longer spluttering, she can feel a warm feeling settling in her chest, making her feel warm despite the freezing weather. Once she gets used to it, the taste is not that bad, either. "Just really, really strong."

As they exit The Three Broomsticks, she can safely say that she likes Firewhiskey. Perhaps enough to even try it again.

**xv. falling**

His princess is falling from her throne.

He watches from afar as she flirts with an endless number of boys and acts like she does not have a care in the world. He watches as she sits in the Great Hall, furiously scribbling to finish up the last of her essays. He watches as she spends her studying time doodling hearts on the edges of notebooks and playing with her quill.

He watches as the crown falls from her head, shattering into a thousand pieces on the ground and watches as Lily Luna Potter becomes a shadow of the angelic self she once was. He watches as she begins to distance herself from her friends and starts hanging out with the rowdier crowd of sixth and seventh years.

He watches it all, but there is nothing he can do about it.

How he just wants to play the knight in shining armour and save the day. How he just wants to sweep her off her feet, like in those Muggle fairytales his mother read to him before his bedtime a long time ago, and carry her off into the sunset – as hopelessly romantic as that sounds.

But he cannot.

There is nothing he can do as she falls over the edge.

**xvi. fragile**

_They're taunting you, sweetheart._

James is mocking her with all sorts of cruel insults, while Albus is standing nearby with a blank face watching the entire scene, doing absolutely nothing to help her as harsh words spill from her elder brother's lips.

"You're a traitor, Lily… You betrayed us to the House of Snakes… How could you do this to your own family?... We're your blood and kin, not them, Lily… Do you feel happy, winning the match for them? Making Mummy and Daddy upset? You should have just let Albus catch the Snitch… He would have made our family proud… He's a true Gryffindor, unlike you, traitor Lily…"

_Just shut up and leave me alone, James._

As if she has just been doused with cold water, her eyes snap wide open and she glances around the room lit by pale moonlight, still shivering in fear from the dream she has just had. Ever since she has won the Quidditch match for Slytherin, her brothers have changed their treatment towards her for the worse. They are no longer ignoring her, but are instead making disparaging remarks about her whenever they cross paths in the hallways.

She hates to admit it, but the sharp barbs still sting even though three years have passed since she first stepped into Hogwarts and was placed into Slytherin house. They are like her father's scar – it would never stop hurting as long as that piece of Voldemort's soul still resided in him…

If her brothers are going to be that way, she will not back down from the fight either. Even though the sane part of her knows better than to fight fire with fire, the rebellious part of her has taken over and she cannot control it anymore.

Her grades are falling and more than once she has been caught sleeping in class and not submitting her homework on time. Her teachers want to call her parents over to the school to discuss her attitude – but she begs them not to tell her parents as long as she promises to change for the better. What an embarrassment it would be – Harry Potter's only daughter, involved in such dirty, impure scandals… Not living up to the expectations they set for such a brilliant girl with so much potential…

But second chances are given and wasted.

Maybe she is like a fragile china doll after all, one shove and that is all it takes to push her off the edge, and shatter her into millions of little pieces.

**xvii. amortentia**

He is in his sixth year when they finally learn about the love potion Amortentia.

Slughorn paces around the room, explaining what the mysterious liquid in a cauldron is and its effect. "Amortentia is a love potion which can cause powerful infatuation. Of course, no known artefact, as of today, is able to create true love, but all the same it is categorised as one of the world's most dangerous potions. When fallen into the wrong hands, one drop and that's all it takes…"

Slughorn trails off in a dramatic way, examining each of them carefully before continuing his speech. "The aroma it gives off is different for each person in this room, reminding you of what attracts you the most." Upon hearing this, most of the students inch closer to the bubbling, shimmering liquid in the cauldron, taking big whiffs of the swirling steam. Slughorn immediately covers the cauldron, before sending them off to brew one of the most difficult potions in their syllabus: the Draught of Living Death.

As soon as the crowd disperses to go to their respective cauldrons, most of them whisper among themselves about the scent of Amortentia, giggling and gossiping. However, he is at the corner of the room, staring blankly at the instructions on how to brew Living Death without actually seeing the words.

For the scent that has escaped from under the cauldron cover is not one of fruitiness, but one of lilies and roses and the freshly cut grass of the Quidditch pitch…

**xviii. drunk**

She is drunk when they have their first kiss.

She is sitting alone in the Common Room on a Friday night, and cradling a partially empty bottle of Firewhiskey the seniors had smuggled into the school. Having drank some of it, she is a little tipsy and half-asleep when Scorpius sneaks up on her, startling her out of her own world. Blinking, she tries to wake herself up properly, but find that she cannot.

"Sit down, Scorpius," she orders bossily, and even through her alcohol-induced haze she can see him that the corner of his lips are twitched upwards slightly as he sits down next to her on the plush green couch. Giggling to herself, she lazily throws an arm around him and slurs, "So how was your day, little Scorpy?"

"Don't call me little Scorpy," he scoffs teasingly, nudging her heavy arm off his shoulder and giving her a poke in the stomach in an attempt to wake her up from her daze. "The name's Scorpius. And I'm older than you."

"Pshht. Age doesn't matter," she retaliates, waving a hand airily in a careless manner, her eyes still closed in sleepiness. "Sometimes I still see the evil child I met at Malfoy Manor when I look at you."

"Evil? Who are you calling evil?" he gasps mockingly, placing a hand over his chest and acting as if he is very offended by her words. "I should think you are the evil one, Lil Luna, for barging into my personal space when I least expected it."

She gives a soft snicker, throwing her arm around his shoulders again playfully. "Fine. I admit it; I'm an evil person, all right? I'm an evil person for barging into other people's personal spaces. Are you happy now, little Scorpy?"

"No," he whispers almost inaudibly, before closing the distance between them.

Their lips clash together in a hailstorm of intensity, and her eyes immediately fly open in surprise. As his lips connect with hers, she is in her very own version of heaven. She cannot think of anything else but his unique scent, his sweet taste, his burning touch…

They continue their passionate exchange, lips gently caressing, tongues dancing around each other. This time fully awake and out of her drunken stupor, her arm slips from his shoulder to grip the front of Scorpius's shirt tightly, wrinkling the fabric under her fingers as she snuggles closer to him.

His fingers are running through her long red hair and making her shiver with delight when they trace little circles at the nape of her neck. "Scorpius," she moans into his mouth, her fingernails digging into his skin when he does not respond. "Scorpius," she tries again.

"What?" he asks when he finally pulls away, breathless and panting, his bright grey eyes wild with desire as he looks at her.

"What about your girlfriend?" As much as she hates to ruin the mood, she cannot stand the thought of him _cheating _with her. It felt so wrong, so dirty, so _impure_.

"Screw her," he hisses roughly into her ear, sending tingles down her spine. "She doesn't matter." The thought of Veronica Goyle is shoved to the back of her mind when their lips meet again, sending her spiralling into her own world of bliss.

Maybe she is being a slut by stealing other people's boyfriends, but right now she does not care.

And just like that, the princess is saved. But this is not the end yet.

**xix. clandestine**

The prince and princess are finally together.

But she begs him to keep their relationship a secret.

He has to agree that she is right about this. Both their parents would probably have a fit if they hear that the child of their worst enemy at school and their child are _together._ Her father already disapproves of her associating with him and his father always crinkles his nose in mild disgust whenever he mentions her in their conversations – whatever will they do when they hear that the two of them are in a _romantic _relationship?

His father would surely kill him or disown him once he hears that his son broke up with Veronica Goyle for a half-blood who happens to be the daughter of his former school enemy, and he is willing to bet all the Galleons in the world that her parents would not be very happy about the arrangement either.

But right now, their parents do not matter. There are still at least two months before Christmas break; they would have figured out something by then, right?

He sincerely hopes so, because he is rather tired of sneaking around and having to keep their relationship a clandestine affair.

**xx. darkness**

They never got around to telling their parents, and before they know it Scorpius has graduated and she is in her sixth year.

Being Harry Potter's daughter, she is one of the few who got selected to go to Beauxbatons for a possible chance to compete in the highly dangerous Triwizard Tournament, much to her parents' distress. Before leaving, she assures them that she will come back safe and sound.

Now, however, she is not too sure about that.

Guided only by her glowing wand tip, she treads through the Dark Forest outside Beauxbatons Academy carefully, looking for any signs of parchment stuffed in a hollow of a tree or sticking out of a bush. The first task of the Tournament was to search through the Dark Forest and find the map which will tell them which route they are supposed to take to get out of the forest.

A twig snaps behind her, and she hurriedly turns, waving her wand in the air. "Who's there?" she demands, looking around the dimly lit area. Finding no one, her racing heart calms down and she continues searching the area.

_It was probably just a squirrel or something_, she deduces, peeking into a hollow trunk and finding it empty. _No need to get so paranoid, Lily. There are lots of animals around at this time of the night. Or maybe it was just a figment of your imagination._

Since there is no moon tonight, the forest is especially dark. Tree branches create sinister shadows when she shines her wand light at them, and every now and then a howl of a beast can be heard. Altogether, it is a very eerie setting and she cannot wait until she finds that _bloody _piece of parchment and gets out of here.

Crack. There it is again. She spins around, again finding the area empty. Goosebumps dot her arms, but it was not from the cold. Her breathing hitches as a realisation hits her.

_There's someone out there. Possibly someone who's not supposed to be here… who wouldn't want to catch Lily Potter off-guard and hold her for ransom?_

There is a rustle of tree branches from the side, and her head immediately snaps in that direction.

_It's just like with Daddy…_

She does not want to find out what – or _who _– is behind the source of the rustling.

She just runs.

Tripping past dead tree roots and avoiding gnarled branches, she runs as fast as she can. All thoughts of the stupid Triwizard Tournament are dissolved in her mind; all she wants now is to get as far away from the Dark Forest as possible. Forget the silly map; she would rather lose and keep her life!

_Merlin, why was I naïve enough to believe that I inherited Daddy's good luck? Why did I ever put my name in the bloody Goblet of Fire?_

She can hear footsteps; pounding footsteps behind her and she forces her aching muscles to go faster than before.

_I am Lily Luna Potter, and I can do this. I can; I have to._

Heart thrumming and blood pounding in her ears, she gasps for breath and continues running. Sweat beads her brow, but she is too occupied at the moment to wipe it away.

_Come on, come on… For Mum and Dad… For Scorpius…_

A hand clasps her shoulder.

"_Be safe for me, Lily,"_ his parting words with her rings loud and clear in her head.

Screaming, she turns around and kicks out at her captor. Even when she knows she is probably going to lose, she will not go down without a proper fight, she will _not_!

"Ouch! Vat is your problem, I vas just trying to help!"

Raising her wand, she flashes the small beam of light on her captor's face; realising it is not some kidnapper or murderer, but Viktoria Krum.

To be specific, a very annoyed Viktoria Krum.

"I do not know vat is wrong vith you," Krum shakes her head in evident annoyance. "I merely vant to help. You are the daughter of a good friend of my father's and he hopes that I vill help you ven you need it. You are the youngest vun of us."

Her face flushes as she realises that Viktoria is implying she is weak just because she is younger than the rest of them, but nonetheless she appreciates the help offered. In any other scenario, she would have wanted to be independent and decline the help, but this is no normal scenario. "Thanks," she says hesitantly, accepting the piece of parchment Viktoria is holding.

"It is not a problem," Viktoria replies stiffly, but the corners of her lips are twitched upwards in a small hint of a smile as she melts into the shadows.

**xxi. proposal**

He proposes to her as soon as she graduates.

"You're joking, right?" she questions, looking at the ornate ring in the box with obvious amusement and slight doubt in her brown-green eyes as they walk towards her house in Godric's Hollow after dinner.

"Why, of course I'm joking," he sighs mockingly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes in amusement and exasperation at his future fiancée, should she choose to accept this "It's just like me to joke about something as important as a marriage proposal."

Lily raises her brow, looking at him with an expression of utter seriousness. "You're not?" she asks slowly, stark realisation dawning on her. "You're actually totally serious about this and are not doing this as a prank?"

"What do you think?" Sarcasm laces his tone. "We've been dating for almost three years now. Even though you're only eighteen, I still want to claim you as mine as early as possible."

"If this is true, then yes, I do accept it. If it's a dare, I'm going to hex you and the person who gave it into the next millennium," she teases in a matter-of-fact tone, a smile breaking out across her face before grabbing him and kissing him like there is no tomorrow.

**xxii. unveiled**

They tell their parents a few months before the wedding.

"Excuse me?" her father blinks up at her with blank eyes, putting down his _Daily Prophet, _sputtering and choking on his daily cup of coffee. "What did you just say, Lily? I think I may need a hearing aid soon, Ginny dear. My hearing is getting terribly poor."

"I said," she repeats in a loud voice, ignoring her father's derisive tone, already knowing the course of the conversation and disregarding her mother's wide and surprised eyes. "I'm going to marry Scorpius Malfoy, Dad."

"You mean Ferret Junior," James sneers from the corner of the living room where he is currently rifling through his old belongings. Although he is no longer living in Godric's Hollow with her and their parents, he chooses today out of all the days to come back home for a visit. Talk about bad timing.

"Scorpius Malfoy? Isn't he the son of Draco Malfoy? Since when do you know him?" Puzzled and surprised, the paper lies forgotten on the table, just like her mother with the breakfast dishes in the sink. Feeling all eyes in the room on her – thank Merlin Albus is out with his friends today – she nods slowly.

"Yeah, Scorpius. He's in Slytherin too – just two years above me. We met at the party – you know, the only party we were invited to at Malfoy Manor like, ten or so years ago?"

Her father's eyes narrow when he presumably remembers what she is talking about. "I gave you some freedom back then, young lady, to get out of the manor and the crowd, not to have secret rendezvous with the son of our host."

"I did slip outside the manor, Dad," she points out exasperatedly. "He was outside too."

"But… but that doesn't mean you can just marry this boy you met outside!" her father mutters indignantly, glaring into his now-cold cup of coffee. "Why am I always kept out of the loop? If I recall correctly, the boy is supposed to ask the parents of the girl first _before_ they get engaged."

"Yeah, well, but Dad," she sighs, already tired of the argument they are having although it has barely been two minutes. "I was good friends with him ever since I arrived at Hogwarts. And we're Slytherins, remember? We don't always follow the rules."

"You're marrying a boy I hardly know, who also happens to be the son of my worst enemy at school. Don't you think I deserve at least a heads up to prevent a heart attack that's surely coming in the future, even though I don't have an ounce of Seer ability?" Sarcasm drips from his tone. "What if he turns out to be just like his father; arrogant and a Muggle-born hating jerk?"

"He's nothing like his father," she promises. Upon seeing her father's raised eyebrow, she hastily adds on from her previous sentence. "Well, yeah, he may be a little arrogant sometimes, but he's very nice. He's on rather friendly terms with the Muggle-borns in Slytherin."

"I think we should meet this Scorpius boy first before we decide whether we approve or not," her mother smiles at her gently, before fixing her father with a stern gaze. Her father retaliates with a rather grim scowl, but she can see his eyes soften.

"Fine," her father grumbles, turning back to his paper. "You're right about that. But if you think I've forgiven you for not telling me about this earlier, you're wrong, young lady. I want a full and thorough explanation before this wedding. Your mother most likely wants one too."

Her father meets her mother's eyes, and they exchange small fond beams with each other. Seeing that they want to be left alone, she takes this chance to slip up to her room, but not before shooting James, who is at the corner of the room muttering angrily to himself about 'traitors' and 'slimy Slytherins', a glare.

Everything in her life is turning out perfectly, even if she does have estranged brothers and reluctant parents.

Now she just has to wait for Scorpius's parents to agree.

**xxiii. surreal**

She is a Potter and he is a Malfoy, but now they are both Malfoys.

Everything feels surreal.

The laughter and chatter of people, the sweet aroma of the flower bouquets, the beams and smiles on every face as the guests stare up at the podium where he is standing.

Not to mention the beautiful girl standing before him.

She is wearing this long, flowing white gown just like the one she wore the first time she met him. Her curly Weasley red hair has been done into an up-do and her bright brown-green eyes are sparkling with happiness.

For one moment, he sees the small eight-year-old child standing on the rock overlooking the waterfall again.

It is a small wedding; Lily hates the paparazzi and being the center of attention and so does he. Only a few of the Slytherins they went to school with were invited, and of course their parents were required to attend as well. Lily's brothers had vehemently declined the invitation and neither of them wanted to invite anyone else outside of their immediate family anyway.

He could hardly believe his ears when his mother agreed to it, as long as she met Lily first. His father, of course, had been less than pleased, but a few soothing words from his mother managed to calm him down.

"I've seen the way you talk about her," his mother answered with a smile when he asked her about it after that tensed conversation. "Your eyes light up in that special way whenever she's mentioned; I knew there was something going on between you two as soon as you broke up with Veronica. I just didn't want to tell your father. You know how he feels about the Potters and the Weasleys."

He is thankful his mother is so understanding.

"Do you promise?" Lily whispers right now, her breath tickling his earlobe and causing a shiver to run down his spine. His lips immediately curve into a smile at the familiarity of the words, written on a fading piece of yellowing parchment almost a decade ago.

"I give you my word."

Even when Lily kisses him with a passion and the priest declares them bride and groom, the sense of surrealism never completely leaves him – _why was he, out of all people, destined to get his fairytale ending?_

But this is not the end.

**xxiv. impossible**

She is unsuspecting when _it_ happens.

She is bustling about in their new home, cleaning and preparing the house for their sixth month anniversary dinner that night. Scorpius is working late today – he is the advertiser and tester for a Quidditch broom-making company so he has been called to test out their new product – and she wants the house to be spotless and perfect when he comes home.

Both of them have normal jobs like any witch or wizard does – she works at a nearby apothecary but took the day off just for today. Although she was offered a position in the Ministry – quite high, might she add – she declined, because she would rather stay out of the spotlight with Scorpius. The whole marriage was hushed up – only the Ministerial Book of Records has evidence that they are in fact, a couple.

They like this quiet, peaceful life and as soon as they have made enough money – they were not going to depend on their hefty inheritances – they plan to move to the countryside and live the life they had always wanted.

As she is wiping the kitchen countertops, she receives a Floo call and rushes over to find an unfamiliar face looking up at her.

"Miss Potter?" She is about to point out that it is Mrs Malfoy when she mentally slaps herself – the world is under the illusion that Lily Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are only living together.

"Yes?" she asks hesitantly. Not many people know their home address.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

The world spins and tilts and she is being suffocated by an invisible force; she is drowning in darkness – she is never going to resurface – _Merlin save her…_

It is impossible. It is preposterous – would ever think up of such a cruel idea of a joke? It is nothing more than a heartless joke; it is not true.

_Impossible impossible impossible impossible..._

If she keeps repeating that, then it will become impossible.

Right?

**xxv. dead**

The princess is no longer a princess.

They swarm around her like bees; plaguing her with questions until she feels that she cannot breathe anymore – her air supply has been cut off. Cameras flash in front of her,

"So what exactly is your elusive relationship with Mr Malfoy?"

Staring straight ahead with a cool, composed expression, she continues on her way, ignoring the annoying reporter.

"Could you please give us some insight on this matter, Miss Potter?"

_Just shut up and leave me alone. Find someone else to plague._

"How do you feel about his death?"

_Death._

Just like that, she is back in the Dark Forest.

She is stumbling around overgrown bushes, trying to find her way out of there. But she is lost. She does not know where she is going. There is no piece of parchment to guide her; no wand light; no saviour coming out of the dark to guide her out of there.

She trips over a dead root and sprawls on the ground – she has hurt her ankle again. Her face scrunches up in pain and she gnashes her teeth together, trying to stand – but dear Merlin, _she just cannot get up_! She needs help although she hates to admit it, but there is no one around.

She is alone.

_Mum and Dad told you not to participate._

_Scorpius Malfoy is dead._

_Scorpius is dead._

_He got killed by a bloody exploding broom. The manager of the company told you that, remember?_

_Scorpius is dead; he's not going to come! Goddamn it, stop fooling yourself!_

_Get a grip, you're supposed to be Lily Luna Malfoy-Potter!_

_You're a stupid, delusional idiot, you know that? He's not going to come because he's dead! DEAD! Don't you understand, you silly, silly little girl?_

"Miss Potter?"

She snaps out of her daze and meets the reporter with icy brown eyes. Icicles seem to form in the room when she speaks again.

"Just leave me alone."

Like the princess she is supposed to be, she waltzes out of the reporters' grasp.

**xxvi. the end**

She is a Potter and he is a Malfoy.

She is on the edge of the cliff top that overlooks the waterfall near Malfoy Manor, having snuck into the grounds just now. No one knows where she is; and she likes it like that.

She is wearing the magically enlarged white dress she wore while standing on this spot exactly eleven years ago. Even though eleven years have passed, things have not changed much: the water still crashes down onto the rocks majestically; the sun still sets and dips over the horizon.

_It's strange, isn't it? It's like this place is protected from change in the outside world._

Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out the promise ring he gave her as a Christmas present nine years ago and hurls it down the waterfall. The ring spins and tilts as it disappears among the foamy waves, glittering and glowing red in the sun.

"You promised, remember?" she grits out harshly through her teeth, her eyes tightly shut. Her voice has changed since she was eight; no longer lilting and sweet, it was now hoarse and scratchy from all the firewhiskey she drunk.

_Find some secluded place in the countryside where I'll never be bothered again, where nobody will realise Scorpius Malfoy lives. Hell, I'll even live with Muggles if that's what it takes. Maybe I will bring you along too if you're nice to me…_

_Do you promise?..._

_I give you my word…_

"But you didn't keep it." Tears threaten to spill from under her eyelids and in any other normal situation, she would have held them back. But this was no normal situation.

"I'm sorry, but I can't either."

_Maybe you're like a fragile china doll after all, one shove and that's all it takes to push you off the edge…_

"_Be safe for me, Lily…"_

_and shatter into millions of little pieces…_

No matter what happens, she will always be a Potter and he will always be a Malfoy; perhaps they are never meant to be.

_The End_


End file.
